With the explosion of fast swimming at the U.S. Olympic Trials dominating coverage last week, we’re rolling last week’s Blueseventy Swim of the Week into this week’s in a U.S. Olympic Trials Double Feature. Today, we’ll look at the best swim of the first four days of Trials, and tomorrow, we’ll check in with the top swim of the meet’s second four days.
It was without doubt the most nerve-wracking – and heart-breaking – race of the U.S. Olympic Trials. Swim fans have known for a year or more that the men’s 100 back would feature at least 3 major international medal contenders, and that only 2 would make the trip to Rio in the 100.
Few races are this loaded at the national level, but last Tuesday night saw 2012 Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers, 2016 world leader David Plummer and 2015 world leader Ryan Murphy walk out the Olympic Trials tunnel one after the other for the 100 back final.
It’s hard to pick any other race as our Blueseventy Swim of the Week for the first half of Trials (the race of the second half of the meet will be the subject of tomorrow’s Swim of the Week double feature). The results speak for themselves.
All three men went out at a blistering pace, rattling the world record pace of Aaron Peirsol‘s legendary 2009 swim. Though the intensity of the moment caught up to all three in the final, Peirsol’s world record seems to be living on borrowed time, with a great chance it falls in Rio.
Not to be forgotten is Jacob Pebley, who had the misfortune of swimming the most overshadowed 52 in 100 back history. His 52.95 sits inside the world’s top 5, and he could very well have won a medal in Rio had he earned a bid to swim the 100 back there. (Luckily, Pebley made the team in the 200 back, where he’s also a major medal contender).
In all, the men’s 100 back produced the 1st-, 2nd-, 4th- and 5th-fastest times in the world this year, and spots 2-5 in the world rankings for the season, which stretch back to last September.
2015-2016 LCM Men 100 BACK
MURPHY
51.85*WR*OR
| 2 | Mitchell LARKIN | AUS | 52.11 | 11/06 |
| 3 | David PLUMMER | USA | 52.12 | 06/27 |
| 4 | Jiayu XU | CHN | 52.31 | 08/08 |
| 5 | Matt GREVERS | USA | 52.54 | 12/03 |
It was the reigning Olympic champ Grevers who was left out, despite swimming an outstanding 52.76. Murphy (52.26) and Plummer (52.28) head to Rio to continue the historically dominant Team USA run in the event. Despite the bittersweet outcome for all involved (fans included), the race will go down in history as one of the fastest, most ferocious battles in the history of the event.
Because choosing just one race is so difficult, here are a few honorable mentions from the first four days of Trials:
- Men’s 400 IM: The ushering in of a new era. First-time Olympians Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland beat 2012 Olympic champ Ryan Lochte, symbolically kicking off an Olympic Trials that would be full of fresh faces for a Team USA.
- Men’s 100 Breast: It was an American record for Kevin Cordes, and all the way down the line, the event was impressive for how far it has risen over the past few years. Both Cordes and Cody Miller are medal contenders in an event many had written off for the American men.
- Women’s 400 Free: It was vintage Katie Ledecky, who swam an extremely aggressive race in search of a world record despite not being fully rested. But maybe more significant was runner-up Leah Smith, who became the second-fastest textile performer of all-time and actually closed on Ledecky late in the race.
- Men’s 200 Free: In terms of pure excitement and unpredictability, this one was hard to match. Conor Dwyer‘s aggressive early pace. Ryan Lochte pushing those on-the-back underwaters to the limit. Townley Haas‘s late surge to touch out the vets. Gunnar Bentz going from last at the 50 to an Olympic berth at the finish. A winning margin of .01. And most of all, a huge statement from the American men that the 4×200 free relay title still goes through them.
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Everyone understands there is no cash prize that goes along with this Swim of the Week thing, right? As far as I know, the athletes don’t even get a prestigious trophy to put on their mantle. I’m sure it just ruined Cate’s week to not be featured in a fun bonus article SwimSwam publishes each week. Is it really worth us getting out the pitchforks over something this trivial?
I’m sure you would not have said the same thing had Cate been an American.
Honestly I know that this isn’t supposed to be the best swim of the meet, but Campbell deserves this, with so little information and coverage about that record it was defiantly overlooked, where as the Men’s 10 back was one of the most anticipated events at trials. So whats the reasoning in choosing this event?
What are the chances of getting the stroke 50s in lineup for 2020? I wonder how they would set those cut standards since the US barely has any opportunities to do them at a high level.
The IOC does not want any more events, as I understand it. They could only come at the expense of an existing event – which is why there is no womens’ 1500 or mens’ 800.
Personally, I don’t want to see any more sprint events – I’d rather have see more distance. If they can’t add more, then drop the female 800 for the 1500.
Cate Campbell,s swim is definitely the swim of the week.
For the 46th time, Mr Anderson has already mentioned that the Blueseventy swim of the week was not necessarily the best overall swim of the week. 🙂
Read here.
https://staging.swimswam.com/blueseventy-swim-week-wenk-cleaning-german-record-book/
By the way speaking of CC world record, we are still waiting for a decent race video. Come on, we are in 2016.
But I can wait. I’m still waiting desperately for a video of Natalie Coughlin’s mythical 100 back world record in 59.58 in 2002.
Again, for the 47th time please answer this question:
Then why was cam mcEvoy’s 47.04 the swim of the week. It was clearly the best and fastest swim of that week.
Why was Efimova’s 1:05+ the swim of the week? It was clearly the best and fastest of the week.
What makes Campbell’s historical swim (many, including YOU, have declared that Steffen’s WR to stand for decades) less interesting to get a mention?
Bobo, you haven’t answered my previous question also, why did you think Seebohm and Larkin of doping last year?
From your link about blueseventy swim of the week:
“…. a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.”
Macevoy’s 47.04 was definitely not only the clear best overall swim of that week, but also grabbed tons of headlines and got examined the most in that week. If swimswam were true to its words, Macevoy’s 47.04 shouldn’t have chosen as the swim of the week.
Efimova’s 1:05 was definitely the most reported swim of the week in addition to being the best and fastest overall swim of the week just because she was a cheat and anything done by her… Read more »
And this is why we’re building a wall.
Cate Campbell??!?!? What else must be done to earn a mention?!?!? U.S trials are big and all but SURELY a WR is much more significant?!?
Wow, when US Olympic Trials is so fast that my favourite swim didn’t even make honourable mention!
I thought the Swim of the Week was Prenot’s win in the 200 breaststroke. Brilliant race strategy. Tops in the world. Nearly took down Yamaguchi’s WR. Plus, nearly everyone expected Cordes to win. Overall a very pleasant surprise, except for that GB medal chances in that event might be shuttered now 🙁
Cecilia – today’s story is on the best swim of the first four days of Trials. Check back tomorrow for the swim of the last four days, which includes the men’s 200 breast. You might be pleasantly surprised again 🙂
Even if not chosen will there be a mention to Campbell Wr?
I read a rant about “swim of the week” on the Cate Cambell story thread. Sure enough, it didn’t even get a mention. We all know that Cate’s swim, is the swim of the year so far and not just a swim of the week. Smile and move on.
Jared, might want to have the editor put up a more apt title like Blueseventy Swim of the Week #1 of 2; that way you avoid additional questions by “heading them off at the pass”. BTW, Cate’s WR IMHO does deserve at least some mention, though we are all so focused on USOT last week.